Touhou Double Focus is a Touhou Metroidvania. It's honestly hard to describe it any better than that. If that doesn't sound like something you absolutely must buy, then you probably shouldn't. If either of those words provokes a strange compulsion in you though, it's a charming game that's enjoyable to play for its incredibly brief duration.

It doesn't pass muster as one of the 3DS's better offerings, but neither did I experience great hatred for Dragon Sinker while playing it. It offers enough engagement to not fade from the mind swiftly, without justifying someone's immediate and unswerving attention due to the plethora of superior options out there. Saying it's better than most items published by Kemco may not be great praise, but it's accurate.

If even just a few more features had been implemented into Legna Tactica, I would find myself singing a different song at the end of this review. It is by no means a poor effort, but the main element RPGamers will expect from a TRPG — the tactics promised in the actual title — just never feel very engaging. By the time the scope of battles offers an enjoyable challenge, the game is already nearing its end and fatigue is setting in; it's too little, too late. Narrative, graphics, and music all clock in somewhere around average, with some facets, like the soundtrack, having a slight edge over others. As budget titles go, players can do much worse. Legna Tactica may satisfy some bite-size appetites, but don't expect it to scratch any Final Fantasy Tactics-sized itches.

With Persona 5, Atlus has once again proven that it is the master of the modern JRPG. With terrific style, addictive gameplay, and an engaging, thought-provoking story, Persona 5 not only matches, but often exceeds its predecessors, one of which RPGamer even declared its RPG of the Decade back in 2010. It is an exceptionally long game, with most players likely to expect over one hundred hours for a single playthrough, but the investment is well worth it. Persona 5 is a remarkable game that shouldn't be missed.

Breath of the Wild is a stunning achievement in terms of gameplay, technical detail, and world building, making the overall experience just fantastic. The Zelda series is certainly no stranger to quality, producing high quality titles since the days of Link to the Past. Never, though, has there been a Zelda quite like this. The openness of its structure brings a breadth of adventure that the series hasn't seen in a long time. It is not only a fantastic game in its own right, but provides a base for the series to build on for years to come. This instance of Hyrule is a joy to explore, and no fan of adventures, or games in general, should miss out on this title.

Tyranny, is fun little throwback to an older style of game. It does it well and it does it without having to cash in on a particular brand or nostalgic sentiment. It presents a brand new world in a compelling and understandable way. It showcases a much more nuanced take on being the bad guy than games tend to do. I found myself reminded more of Unrest than Baldur's Gate while playing this game and that is a good thing.

While there's tons of new, little things to enjoy in Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns, I wish more had been done to innovate the series. We've seen newer games go onto the market that offer so much more, and it feels like Story of Seasons does need to catch up. While this is a great instalment with tons to offer the player, there is a part of me that wanted to see this series grow and change. Trio of Towns is a solid entry into this long running franchise, but this series needs to get with the times and stop playing it safe.

Opinions of Mass Effect: Andromeda will differ greatly based on expectations. The game still provides many hours of enjoyment and lots of the good things that fans have come to expect, but those hoping the series uses this opportunity to take another giant leap may find themselves brought back to Earth with a bump. For everything the development team has done right, there is a little misstep that holds it back, particularly when building the overall story. It's still a highly enjoyable game, but not as stellar as many might have hoped.

Overall, Touhou Genso Wanderer is a solid game with no interest in appealing to anyone beyond its niche audience. Devoted fans of Touhou will enjoy seeing some lesser-used characters in action, while fans of roguelikes can easily ignore the story and focus on the challenge of the gameplay. But if you're neither one of those things, it's probably not worth the full price.

Reverie Under the Moonlight is a highly polished Metroidvania with wonderful aesthetics, and introduces a number of interesting gameplay and combat mechanics. The non-linear exploration, progressive unlocking of new areas, and backtracking are generally enjoyable, and what lore and story exist are competent. Unfortunately, the developers don't make good use of its great combat mechanics due to poor encounter design and an excessive number of easily missable combat abilities. In addition, rewards for exploration tend to be bland and the short length leaves the world and story underdeveloped. The short and sweet Metroidvania experience Reverie Under the Moonlight offers is definitely worthwhile and will satisfy fans of the genre, but the aforementioned design shortcomings keep it from standing out from the pack.

I had high hopes for a lot of the new ideas being introduced, but sadly Atelier Firis breaks my heart in a lot of ways. As someone who loves to get lost in big open worlds, I struggled to enjoy this installment with the same intensity that I've had for the Atelier series over the years. Firis feels like a larger step backwards than Sophie did, and I can only hope that the third game in the Mysterious subseries will fix the blemishes, because there are some great ideas here that just needed smarter execution and more polish.

Ys Origin is a great gateway into the Ys series, as well as another high-quality entry for those who are already sold on the series. Its streamlined approach offers a perfect combination of being able to showcase what Ys is all about without demanding too much of time commitment. Those looking for an engaging experience of combat and exploration should check it out.

NieR: Automata is an odd case where the game feels worse than the sum of its parts. Each individual element is high quality on its own, but there are enough flaws to bring down the overall experience. The story goes in very interesting directions but fails to land the ending, and the combat has a lot of depth but fails to encourage the player to explore it, which combine to make the whole thing feel just a bit hollower than it should be. Anyone who liked NieR or Drakengard will love this game just for how it presents itself and the ideas it explores, but fans of action games or slightly thoughtful sci-fi stories will find a lot to appreciate too.

For its rookie outing, Nioh shows a lot of promise and delivers on quite a bit of it. Its combat is unmatched and will carry it further than some of the more nitpicky complaints can bring it down. It's a fun game to learn, offering great incentives to explore and pore over its many intricacies. It may end up being a bit too long for its own good, but others may find this offers the replayability necessary to get that next piece of an armor set. If this is to be the foundation for a new series, which it absolutely should be, then the hard work is over and an interesting world just needs to be built around it. If it is to stand alone, then it at least does so with one of the finest combat systems ever created.

With all the Arland and Dusk games re-released on PlayStation Vita, I am happy to have completed this journey all over again. Replaying the Dusk series in particular reminded me why I enjoy this series so much, and Atelier Shallie has a lot of wonderful qualities, even if it isn't the wrap up to the subseries that it needed to be. I still maintain that if you are a newcomer, the Dusk subseries is a great way to start, as the learning curve isn't as high as the Arland games. Atelier Shallie isn't the perfect conclusion, but it offers so much heart and a grand adventure that it's almost forgivable.

Horizon Zero Dawn is as close to a flawless RPG as one could hope for; developer Guerilla Games went for the gold in every respect, and it shows. The game boasts immense production values in its gorgeous art direction, and is stuffed to the gills with great voiceover performances, atmospheric and tuneful music, and visceral sound effects work. Even more importantly, it provides a top-notch story that delights in plunging the unsuspecting player headfirst down a rabbit hole of epic proportions, far and away its strongest achievement.

Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers is a lot friendlier to players than many tactical RPGs, though some would argue too much so, and it's impressive how well it manages to evoke its parent series' formula of powerful warriors sweeping through opposing forces. The campaign doesn't take too long to get through and is balanced both in difficulty and experience awarding so that players won't have to spend ages getting their roster up to speed. Hardcore tactical fans will likely want more challenge than the game seems to provide, but for those looking for a lighter tactical experience, Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers fits the bill nicely.

Dragon Quest Builders manages to strike a great balance, combining a streamlined Minecraft-inspired building system with a goal-directed minimalist RPG series. The simple nature of each can lack depth when compared to standalone games in the corresponding genre, but as a combination it works, enabling players to delve into each system without overloading them. The game's somewhat repetitive nature, outdated graphics, and limited combat do somewhat detract, but with the added dash of nostalgia and a hefty dose of humorous charm, Square Enix has the beginnings of a successful formula on its hands with Dragon Quest Builders.

Dragon Quest hasn't been about top-notch production values in recent years, but having them for this game certainly doesn't hurt. VIII has been a constant pleasure for me to experience in depth at last, and is now my favorite in the series. Anyone who didn't experience it on PS2 and has even the tiniest iota of interest should check it out immediately, and the additional content serves as a good inducement to get veterans interested in a revisit. This won't convert anyone who despises the stereotypical JRPG, but it shows just how well such a thing can be done.

Overall, Berseria has its flaws, but those feel like nitpicks compared to the solid core gameplay and story, and it marks a strong return to form for an older series that doesn't quite command the same respect it used to. The writing and characters are better than they've ever been, and the skill-based combat is no slouch either. On the other hand, dungeon-crawling can get a little tedious, the crafting system is acceptable at best, and a rushed localization certainly doesn't help either. But despite all that, any fan of the series deserves to check this out, and probably even people who aren't fans yet.

As a stand-alone product, Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization has very little to recommend it. Gameplay is decent enough to hold interest, but better versions of every aspect can be readily found elsewhere. Even for ardent fans of the series, it's highly debatable whether the game is worth the time. Hollow Realization shows no progress for a series that appears to be relying solely on its base franchise for sales.

Darkest Dungeon is a game that absolutely deserves to be played. It is an emotional ride for the player, a fun tactical battler, and an RPG that amazingly manages to live up to its horror theme. The art direction is sublime, the sound remarkable, and the direction astounding. Worth more than its bloated weight may let on, Red Hook Studios manages to deliver a product both mentally challenging and rewarding, complete in the truest sense of the word. Just expect it to take a good long while to get there.

The developers of Blade & Bones intended their game as an entry in the style pioneered by Demon's Souls and perfected by its successors. Although its combat system clearly misses that mark, the game still manages to greatly succeed on other fronts including its Metroidvania design, wondrous world, open-ended exploration, cleverly hidden and densely packed secrets, and magical environment visuals. Players looking for robust, weighty battles with responsive and fluid controls will not find that here, but those craving a beautiful game that entices exploration of every nook and cranny and knows how to reward players with meaningful treasures and discoveries are in for a truly satisfying experience — so long as they remember to avoid the dreadful combat.

Sword Coast Legends has overreached far beyond its abilities. What might have been a fine successor to Neverwinter Nights is instead a playable, but dull experience for every playstyle it offers. Dungeons & Dragons brand name represents a long lineage of CRPGs. Some excellent, some considerably less so. I, personally, had hoped that this entry could have been the former, given its ambitions to the Neverwinter Nights lineage, but ultimately this game fails to interest for any length of time.

There were many times when I started to become invested in this game's world, and enjoyed what it had to offer. Then one of the issues unfortunately present in the Vita version would stop me in my tracks. After about the twentieth crash that forced me to restart the game and endure its beginning load times once more, all the mercy had left my system. Dex is an interesting title that ought to interest many — just not with the Vita version.

While I completed Yakuza 0 in roughly thirty hours, I didn't feel like I had done everything the game had to offer. This is a game that is completely bursting with content just begging to be uncovered and explored. With each successive Yakuza game, it's clear that this series is growing in a variety of ways, and it makes my heart so happy. Yakuza 0 has risen to the top of my favourite games of all time, easily pushing past Yakuza 2, which had held the spot as my favourite Yakuza for many years. Whether you are a newcomer to the series or a veteran of it, Yakuza 0 offers so much to gamers with its spellbinding storytelling and plethora of content. Enchanting until the last chapter, Yakuza 0 is the pinnacle of the series and it looks to be difficult to unseat.

This is not the worst game ever. Somehow, the experience adds up to more than the sum of its parts, and it manages to be a mostly inoffensive adventure. Its predictability is a bit like comfort food, in that it recalls a childhood of being easily entertained. The battle system isn't interesting enough to hold up the game on its own, but fiddling with stats to avoid a level grind can be rewarding in its own right. There are probably worse ways to spend a couple dozen hours, but on the other hand there are also better.

Not every game has to push the envelope, and Unlucky Mage certainly doesn't. Yet it could deliver better in terms of story and execution.